


Neverland

by disgustedqueen



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship/Love, Killing Game Was A Virtual Reality Simulation (Dangan Ronpa), The power of friendship, Unreliable Narrator, honestly this was written in like 3 days and only kinda makes sense sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27639103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disgustedqueen/pseuds/disgustedqueen
Summary: Akamatsu Kaede jolts awake, scrabbling at her throat. Her nails dig against the skin, and it takes her moments to realize there's no chain there any longer tethering her to the ceiling. The only thing covering her body is a blue paper gown that crinkles with her movement, and a sheet so thin she can see her legs underneath it.Where am I…? She wondered.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Oma Kokichi/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Neverland

**Author's Note:**

> Gonna be straight up honest and up front right here, this fic skips around a lot and is definitely told by an unreliable narrator (Kaede). There's huge chunks of the actual game missing, mostly because I didn't want to rehash the whole game, but also because I didn't want to focus on a lot of things that didn't interest me. Trial 3, for example, is one that definitely gets thrown out the window, because it pisses me off. 
> 
> Regardless, thank you for taking the time to read <3

Akamatsu Kaede jolts awake, scrabbling at her throat. Her nails dig against the skin, and it takes her moments to realize there's no chain there any longer tethering her to the ceiling. The only thing covering her body is a blue paper gown that crinkles with her movement, and a sheet so thin she can see her legs underneath it. 

_ Where am I…?  _ She wondered. She attempted to open her mouth to form a sentence, yell for help, anything, but a sharp pain pierces through it immediately. She no longer feels like she's being strangled, but the pain lingers. It still feels fresh in her mind: there's no way it could just be a dream. It was too vivid, too real, too- 

A crash shakes her from her thoughts, and she pulls herself from the bed. Her legs shake a bit upon touching the cold floor, but she can walk. Her throat is screaming with every swallow, but she still manages to walk to the door of the room, and peek down the hallway. No one is around, and without waiting for help, she turns to the left and walks towards the sound. 

Soon enough, she comes upon the room where the sound was heard. Televisions line the wall, and she scans them for something broken, instead coming face to face with the faces of her friends. 

Were they her friends? 

She watches as Yumeno, who had dropped the cage of birds, bends and picks it back up, carefully adjusting them on their counter. It's morning now. Two screens are black - one is labelled Amami, the other Akamatsu. 

The other screens reveal the others - Gokuhara attempts to show Ouma a butterfly. On Ouma's screen he flinches away from the gentle blue insect. Chabashira orbits around Yumeno. Saihara unlocks the door to a room. 

_ What the hell…?  _

And then all the sudden, her head pounds with memories. 

▪︎

Her parents visit her later that afternoon. Her head aches and she still can't talk, but at least her mom has dropped off some clothes and slippers to wear around the facility. The nurse that had checked on her this morning had told her there was no discharges until she was in top form or the game ended - whichever came last. 

After her parents leave, and she's changed into something much more comfortable than a glorified napkin, she makes her way down to the television room again, where she comes face to face with the man she murdered. 

Surprisingly, however, Amami greets her sweetly and with a wave of his hand. His head has been shaved of the curly green locks he normally wore, a scar along the side of his head. "They had to do some reconstructive surgery," He explains. "Your real body and your game body are linked up. I'd still say I was one of the lucky ones, though." 

She can't reply, because she still can't talk. Amami doesn't seem bothered by this, too busy watching the screens. Nothing too exciting is happening. Yonaga, Chabashira and Yumeno play cards. Saihara and Momota do push ups in the courtyard. Ouma sits in a bathtub full of so many bubbles she can barely see him. Tojo vacuums the hallway. 

▪︎

After that, it becomes routine to check the televisions everyday. 

There's not much else to do, especially with Amami's migraines and her inability to talk. She's still not sure how to apologize for dropping a shotput on his head, but he seems relatively unbothered. "It's just the game," He said. "You're better company than Shirogane, at least." 

She didn't know what he meant by that. 

▪︎

Their third friend is brought back to reality in the dead of night. She's not sure of the specifics, but she thinks that between when you die in the game and when you reawaken in reality there's a period of time where you're just dead for good. Hoshi wakes them up at three in the morning with a blood curdling scream, followed quickly by the sound of vomiting. She had gone to bed long before Rantaro, squeamish of the bugs that were crawling across the cameras of six of her classmates. 

Apparently someone had murdered Hoshi. 

They don't have to wait long to find out. She goes to the television room bright and early, in the middle of the trial. Harukawa sweats under the gaze of the camera. Momota is yelling. Yonaga appears to be doing a one woman dance recital at her podium. Ouma tilts back on the balls of his heel so far he nearly falls off his podium. Chabashira points a finger angrily at Momota. The class trial in absolute chaos, and no one seems to have any answer for who the killer is. 

She eats breakfast there, sipping her tea and picking at some soft fresh fruit that her stomach isn't in the mood for. Amami joins in a bit later, when she feels like they're approaching the end. She still has no idea who the killer is, but Saihara - Shuichi - suddenly seems thoughtful and accuses Tojo. 

"Me?" She asks, barely managing to maintain her composure. Suddenly all the screens flip to her. "Why would I kill Hoshi? How- how  _ cruel  _ of you to accuse me! I pour my heart and soul into helping you all, into preparing for the magic show. Cleaning your rooms and you-!" 

She tunes out Tojo's meltdown when Hoshi enters the room. She had heard that Hoshi had gotten off even easier than her and Amami. He'd probably have a migraine for a few days and some respitory distress, but he'd be fine. "It was Tojo," He announces. 

"I figured," Amami says, shaking his head. His hair has grown out a bit, peach fuzz. It'll still be a while before he had his casually tussled curls back. "That's fucked up, man." 

Hoshi shakes his head. "I wanted her to do it. The game… it fucks with your head." 

Kaede was inclined to agree. Although the memories of her real life were back, it was like the game had patched over some of them. She'd always loved the sound of piano, but had never been able to play it. Now she can play it blindfolded. Memories of middle school reminded her of being a bully, but she couldn't imagine why when that's not... who she is. 

Amami had gone through something similar. He said he had cried his first night out of the game, for his dead sisters and his estrangement of his parents. Imagine his surprise when the following morning, his mother had showed up, followed by five little girls. His parents were separated but according to his mother, he still occasionally saw his father. 

And it wasn't just that. There were tiny inconsistencies. Kaede had never met Saihara outside of the game, but when she thinks of the boy she loved in first year of high school, she thinks of him. Beyond that, she was certain they had broken up, but instead the memory seems too deep to trudge up, as if buried deep underneath happier, fake memories of Saihara kissing her gently. 

Hoshi, however, seems happier. In game he always seemed so solemn. But standing in front of her now, he has light in his eyes. Carefully, she finds a piece of paper and writes something on it before passing it over to him. 

He reads it quickly, then laughs. "No, I've never been to jail. My girlfriend isn't dead either, she's coming by later. My memories are still a little foggy, but I'm excited to see her again." 

Kaede is too. 

▪︎

Tojo dies later, during dinner. They'd watched her execution and Hoshi's girlfriend, tall and beautiful, had stopped by and watched with them. There's silence in the hospital, but the game keeps going. 

Ouma reveals that Harukawa is an assassin, and barely takes two steps towards her to taunt her before she grabs him by the throat, nails digging into the soft flesh. 

She's not sure how, but somehow someone manages to pull them apart, and Ouma, pretending he hadn't been moments from death, mocks her openly while rubbing his throat. 

It's then that they bring Tojo out to the main room, in a wheelchair. It's also the first time that Kaede realizes that some of their appearances have been altered for the game. Her hair is long, braided tightly and down her back, secured with a ribbon. Her face is softer, rounder, and her eyes aren't steely and cold, instead bright blue with worry.

"Hoshi, I'm so sorry-" She starts, before she bursts into tears. A sob racks through her body. "I'm so  _ so  _ sorry. You didn't-" 

"You don't need to apologize," Hoshi says. "You did what you thought was right. If I was in your shoes, I would have done the same." 

"But I killed you, and tried to kill the others. I didn't care if they died if it meant I left, but here I am now-" 

"You couldn't have known," He says, softly. He takes her hand gently, and squeezes it. "Tojo, it's okay. The game makes you do things you would never think of. They trick you into murder and lies and death because if they didn't, it wouldn't be entertaining." 

Tojo cries for a long time after that. 

▪︎

The necronomicon is introduced as a motive shortly after that. Not really a motive, the green bear explains, but Kaede can read between the lies of the game easier now. It might not be a motive in the eyes of some, but it will be for someone. She glances between the screens as it's talked about. Half of them are against the use of it. The other half are for it, and joining together to create a student council. 

"Angie's going to die," Amami says. "There's too big of a target on her back for her not to." 

"And if she doesn't?" Tojo asks. She's gone for huge chunks of the day, in physical therapy, in with a psychologist, talking to doctors and nurses. It would take a long time for her to walk again, but she works hard everyday to do it again. She explains that her mother worked under an extremely regal family, and she's counting down the days that she can return to help her. 

"She is," Amami says seriously. "You can tell. It follows a pattern." 

The rest of them remain doubtful. But as the days wear on, and Kaede becomes bored of playing cards with Hoshi and his girlfriend, she watches closer, she realizes he's right. There's far too much screen time being devoted to Yonaga. Nearly everyone's talking about, thinking about, or with Yonaga, with the exception of Momota, Harukawa and Ouma. It's boring watching Yonaga preach to her five allies. She can't imagine they'll allow this to continue. Someone's going to kill her. 

Sure enough, nearly a week later after Tojo's rejoined them, Yonaga is found dead in the morning. By then, she's already been back to reality for several hours. She's locked in her room, refusing to speak to them. 

▪︎

Chabashira dies during the investigation. Amami drops the chess board that he's putting away in surprise. Thankfully, it's a wooden one, so it only clatters loudly against the ground. 

"That was bold," Hoshi says. "Killing her in a room full of people." 

Kaede reaches for her paper, scribbling quickly.  _ Yumeno?  _

"Shinguji, I'm pretty sure. I think he killed Yonaga, too." 

Kaede's skin crawls. She doesn't want to hang out with Shinguji, he was so… so  _ weird.  _ He probably thought it was funny to kill. Not the way that she felt about herself and Tojo, boxed into a corner. But it's possible that Shinguji was just as warped by the game as Hoshi. 

▪︎

When Chabashira rejoins them, Kaede notices she's a lot more muted in real life. Her hair is shorter too, braided into two short twin braids. She's actually taller and more muscular. She's wearing jeans and a cute pink crop top that says "girls girls girls" that her mom had brought her earlier. 

"Hi guys," She says. "Being dead sucks, huh?" 

Amami laughs. 

▪︎

Surprisingly, Chabashira manages to coax Yonaga from her room. They're found later that day repeating increasingly dramatized lines from musicals that no one else has seen, completely ignoring the trial that's ongoing. 

When everyone has gathered, Yonaga stops her dramatized rendition of ' _ Seasons of Love' _ , placing her hands on her hips and looks at the room. "I have an announcement." 

Kaede takes a seat on the couch next to Amami. Chabashira also quickly takes a seat, in one of the chairs away from them. 

Yonaga smiles, wrapping a finger around a coiled piece of hair. That had been a surprise when Kaede saw her again for the first time - poofy, coily hair, as dark as the night. 

"First, my name is Yayoi," She says simply. "But I like Angie. Please, keep calling me Angie." She smiles dazzlingly so. "Second, I want to apologize to everyone for my approach to others in the game. It wasn't right to force my religion on you like that. And for telling you that you would go to hell, Tenko-san." 

Kaede was surprised to hear the admission, but Yonaga continues on. "I understand now, even with some of my memories still fuzzy, that Angie Yonaga in the game wasn't me. She was an artificial reconstruction created for entertainment…. So, please, if you can find it in your heart, get to know the real Angie Yonaga." 

▪︎ 

The thing about Shinguji reappearing is everyone avoids him like the plague. Kaede unconsciously does so, spying him in the rec room reading by himself, and she bolts her way back down the hallway away from him, empty-handed of the chess board Amami wanted her to grab. 

She feels bad. She knows, objectively speaking, that he was probably crammed as full of false memories as the rest of them, personality distorted and twisted until there was nothing left, but she can't bring herself to talk to him. Especially not when Yonaga and Chabashira refuse to forgive him. 

Still, no one checks up on him. She asks one of the staff what the tall order for Shinguji was - a skin rash, vertigo, and his own persisting germaphobia. She can't bring herself to ask about the infamous sister, so she leaves it at that.

The nice thing about avoiding Shinguji like the plague is he doesn't seek them out either. He holes himself up in his room, or in the library. She's heard him talking softly to the staff but if one of them walks into the same room that he's having a conversation in, he clams up immediately. 

Kaede's not sure of the exact reason - they've all done terrible things, but after a few days, after talking through them with everyone, they've all managed to come to an understanding. Some of them are bound to be more precarious than others, but Kaede doesn't understand why Shinguji refuses to even speak to them. 

▪︎ 

Kaede had honestly forgotten about the presence of the mastermind until the camera that's keeping track of Iruma catches her muttering under her breath about 'that shitstain Ouma, thinking he can kill us all'. 

She pulls her paper close to her and picks up a pencil. She flashes it to Tojo, who's silently crocheting, eyes flickering over the screens of Gokuhara and Yumeno. They're in his Ultimate Lab, showing Yumeno how to hold her hand and let a bee crawl over it. When Tojo doesn't notice at first, she taps the paper once to get her attention. 

Tojo reads it quickly. "Ouma? Hm… I never thought so. He's kind of annoying, but…" Tojo trails off thoughtfully, before shaking her head with resolve. "No. It's not him." 

Kaede scribbles underneath her previous statement. 

"I'm… not sure," Tojo admits. "Admittedly, with only being in the game for a short time, I didn't gather many clues." 

▪︎ 

_ Is Ouma-san the mastermind?  _

_ If not him, who is?  _

_ ▪︎ _

Kaede can only watch in horror as Iruma corners Ouma, reaching for the hammer that she's looped through the belt on her skirt. It's early in the morning, no one else is awake in the quiet hallways of the hospital, and even though she knows it's not real, Kaede wants to slam her fists against the televisions, scream in their faces.  **_It's not real, it's fake, Ouma doesn't want you dead-_ **

And then behind Iruma comes a huge shadow, who overcomes her with brute strength, wrapping white cloth around her neck and _squeezing_ _and pulling,_ until Iruma's hands stop scrabbling for her throat and her entire body goes limp, mouth twisted open horribly between a scream and sob. 

Kaede's breath catches in her throat, Iruma's television going black. Ouma takes a deep sigh on his screen, wipes his eyes with the palm of his hand, and then puts his hand on his hips. "Thanks, Gonta." 

Gonta smiles back weakly. "Gonta protected Kokichi." 

"You sure did, buddy," Ouma says, and he tries to laugh, but it gets caught in his throat. "You've saved everyone. C'mon, help me." 

Together, the two of them lift Iruma onto a large shingle that Gokuhara breaks off the roof, and then send her sailing down the side. Ouma reaches for the doorknob, and Gokuhara towards the other side of the roof, presumably to keep up the appearance of being somewhere else the whole time. 

"Oh, Gonta," Ouma says, suddenly, just as Gokuhara has finished tying the cloth to the overlook post. "Don't say anything to Saihara. Just say you've forgotten. I'll take care of everything else." 

▪︎ 

Iruma is fuming when she joins them. She has to have throat reconstructive surgery, but that doesn't stop her from writing nearly an essay when Kaede hands her the paper that she uses. Finally, she angrily scribbles over what she's written, before flipping it over to write in huge letters " **I fucking hate that whore** ". 

"To be fair, you tried to kill him first," Amami reminds her. "If you thought he was the mastermind, why would you think he didn't have a back-up plan in place?" 

"Plus, it's Ouma, did you think he would take dying lying down?" Hoshi chimes in.

Iruma furiously scribbles down an answer. Kaede can't stop staring at the grown-out roots in her hair, which is chopped at a respectable shoulder length and kept in a messy bun. " **Fucking louse was better off dead** ". 

"Regardless," Tojo tries, but Iruma is already burying herself back into the notebook paper to write back an answer. 

▪︎

Kaede's honestly surprised by how close the trial comes. Everyone is exhausted from being in the simulation - a simulation inside a simulation? She chuckles at that - and Ouma is just whittling away at everyone's determination to solve the case. She has no clue what exactly his aim is, but as instructed, Gokuhara insists throughout the trial that he doesn't remember anything. 

Throughout the trial, Iruma keeps up a running opinion written for them. Since she can't talk until she has surgery tomorrow, and even then, not until she rests her voice for a week at minimum, she's more than making up for the lack of communication. 

The trial goes on for  _ hours _ . Eventually Iruma gets bored of cussing Ouma out and lounges across one of the couches, arms crossed in a huff. It doesn't matter, because the trial keeps getting dragged into circles. Someone accuses Ouma, he proves that there wasn't a possibility it was him, he randomly accuses another classmate, and Saihara proves that it isn't a possibility. 

Kaede isn't certain what Ouma hopes to achieve by protecting Gokuhara like this, but she can see even him getting distressed by the ongoing trial. Everytime Gokuhara apologizes for not remembering something, Ouma grips the sides of his podium until his knuckles turn white. It's no surprise that minutes later, Ouma snaps. 

"Will you  **fucking** shut up, for five goddamn minutes?" Ouma shouts, pushing himself up against the podium to appear taller. "We fucking get it, you don't remember, you don't remember! Fucking  **defend** yourself, Gonta. That's not defending yourself-!" 

"Uhm… Ouma…" Saihara tries to interrupt, but his voice dies quickly when Ouma whips his head in his direction. 

"Shut up, Saihara." 

Saihara coughs awkwardly into his fist. "Noted." 

▪︎ 

Eventually Ouma does break for real, screaming that it's Gonta, always was and always will be. That him and Gonta formed the ' _ Killing Game Busters'  _ and were going to forcefully end the game. He needles and mocks the other, pulling at his hair in distress while everyone else simply stands back and watches the carnage. 

The trial ends, and they do they're typical kiss and cry before the execution. Kaede's surprised when Gokuhara places a large on hand on Ouma's shoulder and pulls him into a tight hug. 

"I forgive you," He says, sincerely. 

Unsurprisingly, Ouma bursts into tears. False or real, Kaede doesn't know, but he doesn't stop until after Gokuhara is led away by Monokuma and his screen goes black. 

▪︎

The next few days pass by quickly. Not much has happened in the hospital. Gokuhara somehow seems even taller and wild in the middle of the hospital, but Tojo shows him how to braid his hair and properly wear his suit, and he pushes her wheelchair out to the garden with him. He'll show her the different types of insects and interesting facts about them, and she'll keep her hands busy with crochet or sewing. Neither of them have the appetite to continue watching the game, and Kaede wishes she was as strong as them, but she's always drawn back.

Yonaga - Angie - and Chabashira had also gotten close, always together, cooking or singing or playing one of the hundreds of board games they're provided. Hoshi, the one that's gotten better within the shortest amount of time, tries to make a case to the hospital to be released before the end of the game under the rule that he doesn't spoil anything. It doesn't go through, but Kaede is proud of him for trying. 

Shinguji and Iruma both stay mostly away from the group. While the rest of them enjoy each other's company and eating meals together, Iruma devotes her time to tinkering with everything that she can get her hands on. Shinguji still refuses to talk to them, but as far as Kaede knows, he's been spending his time reading. 

Everything is peaceful. She knows it can't last. 

▪︎

She's right of course, in the worst possible way. She hadn't been paying attention as much to the televisions, spending time with Amami in the gardens or with Angie and Chabashira in the kitchen. She's developed quite a passion for baking cakes.

She only checks again because Amami is insistent that she does, and she meets him in the room early the next morning. Saihara, Harukawa, Yumeno, Shirogane and Kiibo all crowd around the outside of a hangar, holding something that looks like an extra long hammer. Ouma and Momota's televisions both reflect back black. 

"Wh-?" She starts, but her voice stops and breaks there. Saihara opens the door to the hangar, and both Momota's and Ouma's televisions come back to life, pointed at a huge press, dripping with blood. Between them, the coat of Kaito's jacket hanging out.

There's not a sound between the five that are in the game. Yumeno drops her hammer, before she drops to her knees with a sob. 

"Kaito-!" Harukawa screams. Her grip tightens on the hammer she's holding, and then she flings the weapon deeper into the hangar. "I'm going to fucking kill  _ him _ when I get my hands on him."

No one has to ask her who she means. They all know. 

▪︎

Ouma eventually regains consciousness, nearly a day later. The doctors hadn't been sure, due to the nature and severity of his injuries. Eventually, however, he's coaxed awake.

He doesn't say anything. Neither do the rest of them. He refuses to eat and drink. The nurses hook him to a drip. He tries to pull it out, but with a cry, and blood running down his forearm, is unable to. 

"Someone should talk to him," Kaede announces a few hours later, holding the sheet of paper it's written on so everyone can see. 

"Are you… volunteering?" Tojo asks. She has her lap full of needlework. Beside her, Gokuhara pulls out the loose threads of yarn for her. 

She doesn't answer, just thrusting the paper further into their faces. Amami sighs. No one says anything. 

Much like Shinguji, they all silently agree to avoid him. 

▪

Another day passes and still no one goes to see Ouma. Not even a family member. It might be sad that he has to stay in his bed in his room by himself, shunned by his classmates, and too broken to occupy himself in the library or garden or game room, but Kaede finds it sadder that he's forced to stay in the paper napkin-like gown because no one will bring him clothes. 

Even Shinguji's father had stopped by, for a rather stilted and brief conversation, but at least he had his choice in khaki's, sweater vests, and linen dresses. Ouma just sits in his room, alone and forgotten, without any family or friends. 

▪︎

Two days later, everyone has exited the game. Almost everyone from the hospital has completely given up on watching the game, bored of the storyline, or just preferring to spend time with others. When Yumeno steps into the main room, hair in disarray and wearing some cute corduroy shorts and an oversized yellow shirt, Chabashira immediately wraps her arms around her with a squeal. 

“You won!” She says, jumping up and down and squealing. “Congrats, Himiko! You won!” 

“I don’t feel like I won,” Yumeno says, but regardless she lets the hug and mini celebration continue. “My head hurts.” 

“It’ll pass.” Chabashira takes her hands. “I’ll have to show you around, we’ll be able to go home soon.” 

▪︎

As promised, they begin to be discharged. The first out are the three without any injuries - the self proclaimed winners. Yumeno visits everyday alongside Saihara and Harukawa until Chabashira is deemed acceptable to be discharged, then she disappears from their life aside from the occasional phone call to Angie. 

Kaede is more than a little sad when Amami is cleared to go. He keeps the side where his surgery scar is shaved and tells her plans to grow the other side out long. He wants to travel, for real this time, not because of some fake backstory implanted to make him think he’s been all over the world. “I’ll send you pictures,” are his parting words, and a peace sign as he walks out the double doors back into the real world. 

Soon, it’s just her, Ouma, Momota and Tojo. She spends a lot of her time with Tojo, learning to knit, though she does a rather poor job at it. She appeals to get released, but is denied on the grounds of safety to herself and unresolved trauma in her throat. She practices the homework her therapist gives her, but still feels more comfortable reaching for a piece of paper to talk. 

Everyday, Saihara and Harukawa visit. Harukawa typically would at least politely spend a few minutes pretending that she was interested in visiting the others, but eventually trail off to go see Momota. 

Today, when Kaede goes to meet Saihara at the front door, excited to show him a cool puzzle she had unearthed from under the dozens of board games they have, there’s someone else at the reception waiting alongside him. 

“Ah, Akamatsu-san,” The receptionist says. She immediately feels guilty that she can’t remember their name, even though she’s spoken to them dozens of times. “Can you take this lovely young man to Ouma’s room?” 

The person beside Saihara grumbles, but trails after her regardless. Kaede desperately wants to question him, and she looks pleadingly at Saihara. Under her gaze, he finally cracks. 

“Um,” Saihara asks. “Are you a friend of Ouma’s from school?”    
  


“No.” 

Saihara doesn’t seem brave enough to try again, but he surprises her by prodding again. “A fan?” 

“No. He lives with me.” 

They reach Ouma’s door. Kaede doesn’t want to go in, but she does anyway, behind the stranger because she doesn’t want to have to lock eyes with Ouma, but she can’t deny her curiosity. 

“Yu-chan?” 

The stranger - Yu - crosses the length of the room to Ouma, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. “Keiichi.” 

▪︎

Ouma is discharged the next day to Yu - who Kaede later learns is actually Tachibana, but he doesn’t care for formalities. The hospital had been vehemently against Ouma being discharged, but apparently after the involvement of Ouma’s mother and the threat of lawyers and years of being dragged to hell and back through the system, they had relented. 

She had spoken briefly to Ouma before he left, who had a big smile on his face for the first time since his grand entrance into society. When he sees her, however, his face falls. 

“What’s Akamatsu-chan want?” He asks, voice dripping with vinegar. “Or, well I guess you don’t talk do you?” 

Kaede writes on a piece of paper, flipping it over for him.  _ I’m glad you get to go home.  _

“Me too, this place sucks.” He still can’t walk, but with Yu finally having brought him clothes, he at least doesn’t look so fragile. Still, the black sweatpants and oversized shirt make him look like a little kid. It’s insane to think that at one point he had been manipulating nearly sixteen others into murdering each other. “I can’t wait to go home.” 

_ Do you live with Tachibana?  _

“I dooooooooo,” He says, like some sort of love struck teen. “I moved in at the beginning of the year, my mother doesn’t care what I do. I was actually surprised she threatened legal action, that was probably the only cool thing she’s ever done.” 

_ I’m happy things worked out for you.  _

▪︎

**Five Years Later**

Lately, they’ve all been meeting up for dinner once a week. Occasionally, one of them will miss it, called away by work or interviews or family. Hoshi has a daughter that he has a hard time tearing himself away from. 

Ouma never comes. Kaede can count the times Shinguji has come on one hand, and it’s always been a bit awkward, but Chabashira, Angie and Yumeno just don’t talk to him and things seem to be fine. Kaede has missed the dinner once, to play a concert, which by extension meant that Saihara had missed it as well. She checked her phone after the concert and was flooded with messages from the “Danganronpa Class 53” groupchat asking where she was. 

On this particular day, Kaede is entering the restaurant, Saihara beside her. He helps her out of her jacket while they find seats next to their friends. Amami flags her down, and they both take seats next to him and Kiibo. 

“Welcome to a slice of Italy,” Amami says. “Not as good as the real thing, but we’ll just have to go together sometime.” 

“Oh,” She starts, but her voice doesn’t cooperate. Her hands find Saihara’s over the table. 

Amami laughs. “Akamatsu, did you think I was  _ hitting  _ on you?” 

Thankfully the awkwardness is broken by the arrival of Iruma, who, thanks to inability to read the room, immediately starts complaining about the low lighting of the restaurant. 

Kaede smiles, and holds Saihara’s hand tighter. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Join my lgbt 18+ danganronpa server at - https://discord.gg/bWgxY67Bv9


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